[Info-vax] Multia

[Crabs]

On Monday, November 8, 2021 at 9:33:21 AM UTC-8, Bill Gunshannon wrote:
> On 11/8/21 10:24 AM, chris wrote: 
> > On 11/07/21 15:07, Bill Gunshannon wrote: 
> >> 
> >> I used to have one of these. Sadly, I let it go during my last 
> >> household move. Any chance anyone still has these sitting around 
> >> taking up space (OK, they don't really take up much space) that 
> >> would want to get rid of them? I would love to have a couple to 
> >> play with again. Pretty sure I even have the stuff for how to 
> >> get VMS to run on them stored away in my files somewhere. 
> >> 
> >> bill 
> > 
> > Do you want X86 or Alpha ?.
> I wasn't aware of any Multia other than the Alpha version. What 
> was the x86 version like? But, I am interested in the Alpha 
> version which can be made to run VMS.
> > Have had examples of both over years 
> > and the one critical thing to make them reliable is to replace the 
> > fan with a high output type and use some cardboard baffling to make 
> > sure that the CPU and hard drive get plenty of air. Original fan 
> > is rubbish and jams eventually, where it should have had a dual 
> > ball bearing fan. Penny pinching etc...
> Mine didn't come with a fan at all. I did add one and, as I said 
> earlier, I never had a problem with overheating. 
> 
> bill

At one time I had 4 or 5 of them, still have a few minor bits and pieces that somehow didn't get tossed.
The one thing I still have which is made of pure unobtanium is one of the plastic vertical stands (with tabs intact) that held the Multia vertical.
I could be forced to unload it, as I really have no use for it at all.
My retirement account could use a few extra zeroes. ;-)
I did get mine to run OpenVMS, don't remember which particular flavor but it did work.
There were two versions of the Alpha variant, one with a rather slow 166mhz Alpha which was hard soldered to the MB, and the other had a 233mhz Alpha in a socket.
I still have a CD somewhere with the Alpha version of Windowze NT, I also seem to recall that there were Alpha versions of Monkeysoft Excel and Word, but I could easily be mistaken. It's been soooooo many years since any of that was relevant.

Crabs